Charge modifying attachment for engine intake manifolds



March 16, 1937. c, STRANCKE 2,073,887

CHARGE MODIFYING ATTACHMENT FOR ENGINE INTAKE MANIFOLDS Filed July )22,1932 9 '/0 a a a W 7 {1/5 1 {I 7 H x 7 IVA!!! 39 F I i l ZSnnentor CM SMGttomegs Patented Mar. 16, 1937 PATTEN CHARGE MODIFYING ATTACHMENT FOBENGINE INTAKE MANIFOLDS Charles Strancke, Milwaukee, Wis. ApplicationJuly 22, 1932, Serial No. 623,957

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in charge modifying attachmentsfor engine intake manifolds.

It is the primary object of the invention to 5 provide a novel andimproved means for supplementing the charge formed in the carburetor byadding thereto a predetermined regulated flow of fluid which isintroduced into the mixture only at higher engine speeds, and in ratiosgenerally l0 proportioned to increases and decreases in engine It is afurther very important object of the invention to provide means for thecontrol of the gaseous mixture supplied to the charge, and

moreover for the control of the delivery of such mixture to the charge.It has been found by experimentation that accuracy of control is verydesirable to secure the best results.

It is my further purpose broadly to provide control means, which, byvirtue of its connection to receive motion from a. diaphragm exposed toexhaust gas pressures,will be automatically subject to operation inaccordance with the engine speeds. From the standpoint of this broaderaspect of the invention, it is immaterial whether said control meanscomprises a valve or some other mecha- .nism, and it is also immaterialwhat is controlled by said means, there being many appliances requiringmanipulation in general proportion to engine speeds which canconveniently be operated by means herein disclosed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view, largely in side elevation but partiallyin section, showing the component elements of the device in their properrelative sequence and relation to each other and the parts of the engineto which they are applied. Figure 2 is a plan view of the controldiaphragm valve.

- Figure 3 is a plan view, partially broken away to a, horizontalsection, of the manifold inlet fitting. Figure 4 is a fragmentary detailview taken in section in the plane indicated at 4-4 in Figure 3.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughouttheseveral views.

. The device comprises three elements interconnected by piping. Thefirst of these is a humidifier and air washer, wherein the air to beadded to the charge is washed and mixed with water vapor. The secondunit comprisesa control valve which is automatically operated toregulate the flow of the washedand humidified air to the manifold. Thethird unit is the manifold fitting through which the air and vapor areadmitted in the form of gases to the intake manifold in the path of thecharge formed in the carburetor.

The air washer and humidifier 5 This device comprises a jar 5 adapted tocontain water or some other suitable liquid and supported in a bracketwhich includes a head 6 constituting a closure for the jar, a strap i,and a 10 pressure clamp 8 adjustably supporting the jar from beneath andholding it in air-tight relation to the closure head 6 which is recessedat i and provided at 6 with a gasket for the mouth of the Jar. 15

The pressure head carries a valved fitting d whereby air is admittedunder control of needle valve ill to a pipe H extending to the bottom ofthe jar, and there terminating in a coil i2 having apertures from whichthe air supplied to the 20 pipe can bubble up through the liquid in jar5. The jar will ordinarily be filled with liquid to the depth indicatedin Figure 1. V

The air reaching the top of the jar, together with such gaseous vapor ashas been picked up 25 thereby from the liquid in the jar, escapesthrough port 15 in head 6 to a pipe i6, whence it passes to the controlvalve casing IT.

The control valve m The control valve comprises a needle valve illreciprocable to and from its seat in casing ii and having a valve steml9 pivotally connected at 20 to a bar 2! which is subject at' its endsto the tension of springs 22. This bar is adjustably connected by meansof bolt 23 and compression spring 24 with a diaphragm 25. The diaphragmis clamped by a ring 26 to the face of a diaphragm chamber 21. reenforcethe face of the diaphragm and provide a convenient means to which thebolt 23 is connected. The diaphragm chamber communicates through pipe 29with the exhaust manifold 30 of the engine, thereby being subject topres '5 sure in the exhaust manifold which is fairly closelyproportional to the engine speed, the arrangement being such that when asufficient exhaust pressure is reached the valve it will be lifted fromits seat and its further opening will 50 depend upon the degree of suchpressure.

It is particularly to be noted that exhaust valve pressures areproportioned to engine speed independently of throttle positions. I amaware of the fact that it has heretofore been proposed to 55 A floatingring 28 may be used to 40 bleed air into the intake manifold for thedilution of the mixture at high engine speeds, but in 'all such deviceswith which I am familiar the control has been effected through meanssubject to depression in the intake manifold or to manipulation of thethrottle. In either case the device will act prematurely'to dilute themixture before the engine can respond to changes in pressure produced bythrottle manipulation. The result seriously impedes a smooth operationof the engine.

Subject to the control of valve I 8, the washed and humidified airpasses through pipe 3| to the fitting which controls its admission tothe intake manifold.

The intake fitting I have found that it is very important in any airadmission system to control the delivery of air not only as to amountbut also as to the proportionate amount delivered to different parts ofthe manifold. Different engines vary as to their requirements -.in thisregard even as between engines of the same make equipped with likecarburetors.

My improved inlet fitting comprises a block 35 interposed between theintake manifold flange 36 and the complementary carburetor flange 31.The block 35 is preferably made to register with the aforesaid flangesand is apertured in registry with the holes which receive bolts 38. Ithas a central bore 39 which passes with a slight restriction at 34 tothe intake manifold the charge originating in the carburetor.

Pipe 3| leads the diluting air to an annular distributing conduit 40which may comprise a groove cut in the upper face of the block 35. Fromthis conduit any desired number of ducts ll lead tangentially into themixture passage 39,

each duct preferably being under the individual control of its ownneedle valve 42. To provide a convenient seat for the jamb nuts 43 forthese valves the block 35 may be squared up as shown in Figure 3.

As above noted, it will be found that these valves should be adjustedindividually according to the requirements of the particular engine. Itwill be found that best results may be secured with one valve relativelywide open and another relatively tightly closed, depending on factorsunknown at the present time, but probably concerned with. the manner inwhich the charge moves from the carburetor through fitting 35 to theintake manifold. 1

Operation The total amount of air to be admitted to the intake manifoldis regulated by manipulation of valve l0, after which the air reachesthe washer and humidifler.- The air passed by the valve bubbles throughthe opening in pipe II into intimate contact with the liquid containedin jar 5. Thence the air and entrained vapor is led through duct isunder the control of valve ill to the inlet fitting. As previouslyexplained, valve I8 is opened at predetermined engine speeds by pressurein the exhaust manifold 30 acting on diaphragm 25, the degree ofopening, above said speeds, being proportioned to the pressure in theexhaust manifold and hence to the speed of the engine.

The gases reaching the intake fitting 35 are distributed in groove 40 tothe several tangential delivery ducts 4i and are apportioned by theindividually adjusted needle valves 42 to flow in greater or less degreeto the ducts. I have thus provided means for regulating the total flow,for proportioning flow to engine'speeds and for cutting it offautomatically below a predetermined speed, and I have also providedmeans for regulating the delivery of the bleed gases to the carburetedmixture of charge.

I claim:

1. In a-devlce of the character described, the combination with anintake manifold fitting including a plurality of ports for delivery tothe manifold at different points with reference to the flow of gasestherethrough, of means for individually regulating relative flow throughthe respective ports, and means for regulating total flow through all ofsaid ports, the last mentioned means including a pressure responsivevalve operatively connected to be subject to exhaust manifold pressure.v

2. A regulating device responsive to engine conditions comprising avalve casing, a valve operable therein, a diaphragm and a diaphragmchamber closed by said diaphragm and provided with a pipe forcommunication with an engine exhaust manifold, and a yieldable elementconnected between said diaphragm and said valve for actuation thereof.

3. The combination with an engine exhaust manifold, of a diaphragmchamber, a valve 'casing connected therewith, a valve operable in said.casing to and from its seat therein, a diaphragm closing said chamber,and upwardly urged by pressures transmitted from said exhaust manifold,actuating connections between said diaphragm and valve including a barelement pivotally connected to said valve, resilient elements downwardlyurging said bar, and a yieldable element connected between saiddiaphragm and said bar element operative to urge said bar upwardly inresponse to movements of said diaphragm.

4. The combination with a frame member providing a chamber having a pipeconnection to an engine exhaust manifold, of a pressure responsiveelement exposed to pressures in said chamber and movable in response tochanges of such pressure, a valve casing mounted on said member andprovided with inlet and outlet ports and an intermediate valve seat, avalve movable to and from said seat and provided with a stemreciprocably projecting from said casing, a bar extending across saidelement and connected with said. stem, spring means urging'the ends ofsaid bar toward said element, and means providing a motion transmittingconnection between said element and bar whereby the movement of saidelement in response to increased pressures in said chamber is adapted totransmit motion to said bar in a valve opening direction.

port, an' intake manifold vapor outlet connection, and an intermediateseat, a valve reciprocable to and from said seal: and provided with astem projecting from said casing, the movement of the'valve from itsseat being in -the same direction as the movement of said diaphragmelement in response to a pressure increase in said chamber, a barextending trans- 5. In a device of the character described, the

' versely across said diaphragm element in spaced and interposed betweensaid element and bar relation thereto, spring means connecting thewhereby to provide rnotion transmitting connecends of said bar with saidframe member, means tions for opening said valve in accordance withconnecting said bar with said valve stem. is link pressure increases insaid chamber.

5 loosely connecting said bar with said diaphragm l element, and springmeans encircling said link CHARLES STRANCKE.

